Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that Welington Castillo has emerged as the Orioles' top catching target.

The Orioles don't want to head into the season with Caleb Joseph as their primary catcher and they've expressed interest in other free agent catchers such as Nick Hundley as well. Castillo, who was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks last week, and his representatives have reportedly been in discussions with the Orioles since the winter meetings ended with expressed optimism that a multi-year deal could get done.

The move removes the veteran infielder from the club's 40-man roster. As he just signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers worth $550,000, there's a decent chance he'll accept the assignment rather than sacrificing the guaranteed money and looking for a better opportunity elsewhere.

LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Jared Burton wants to return to the majors in 2017.

Burton didn't pitch in 2016 after being suspended 50 games last January for a second positive test for a drug of abuse. He'll have to settle for a minor league contract, as there doesn't figure to be much of a market for a 35-year-old who hasn't pitched well in the majors since 2013.

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that Johnny Monell has signed with the KT Wiz in Korea.

Cotillo says Monell initially had a deal with the NC Dinos before it fell through. The 30-year-old got cups of coffee in the majors in 2013 and 2015 but spent all of 2016 at Triple-A in the Mets organization, batting .276/.336/.470 with 19 homers.